Sticking to their trials

In the game of corporate collaborations, the small biotech company faces a negotiating challenge when its priorities diverge from those of its larger - and funding wielding - partner. Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. ran up against this problem and decided to foot the bill for late stage clinical trials rather than delay them while partner Johnson & Johnson looked into additional indications for ALLP's Oxygent intravascular oxygen carrier.

Two Phase II trials of Oxygent as a temporary oxygen carrier in surgical patients have been completed. Combined, the trials tested the product in 250 patients and demonstrated that Oxygent was more effective and had a longer lasting effect than did blood (see BioCentury, Sept. 15, 1997)...